Xeloda Dosage

My dad is 78 and is to start 4000 mg of Xeloda daily for two weeks on, then one week off--8 cycles of this three week plan.
Anyway, I thought 4000 mg was very high and higher than was Xeloda recommends. I'm going to try to contact Roche tomorrow, but wondered if anyone has thoughts on this. Thank you.

--Ann E.

I take 3000 mg a day. The dosage is calculated according to the body surface area.

Thank you Sagitelli.  If you can, let me know how it's going for you and what cycle you are on.  I am also interest in how the first week went. My dad is now supposed to start Wed. --Ann E.

 

On 7/14/2008 ConcernedinKC wrote:

Thank you Sagitelli.  If you can, let me know how it's going for you and what cycle you are on.  I am also interest in how the first week went. My dad is now supposed to start Wed. --Ann E.

It's going well. I take Xeloda every day for 2 weeks then get a week off. The worst side effect I have is hand and foot syndrome, but I can deal with it. If my feet hurt too much I skip my daily walk for a day or two until my feet get better. All the best to your father. How us he coping? 

 

my mom was on xeloda for 2 weeks.  since then, she has been hospitalized for 3 weeks and 4 days.  she has a body surface area of around 1.49 and was started at 4000mg daily.  of the 9 listed side effects, she has had 8 of them. 

when the company my parents go through for their prescription medications contacted her doctor to verify such a high dosage, no one from his office returned the call, so subsequent refills (which she wouldn't have used) were never sent.

 i hope your father has much better luck with the xeloda than my mother has.

please read this article:

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/prehttp ://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS152569+18-Apr-2008+PRN20080418ssRelease/idUS152569+18-Apr-2008+PRN20080418

 

my mom was given that dosage for 14 days. 

the article isn't copying correctly.

 

it states that 4000 mg per day has been ok in trials from roche for 7 days on and 7 days off.  key word,TRIAL.

 

my mom was given 4000 mg per day for 14 days.

 

please check into your father's expected regime.   

My husband is 52 and has been on a trial at UCSF since March receiving an infusion of Gemzar once every two weeks, and then takes 4,000 mg Xeloda per day for seven days then seven days off...When he started he was stage IV Ampullary cancer with mets to the liver.  His CA19 was 2,108 and he had started to lose weight....As of today he is in complete remission - his primary tumor has visibly disappeared and the tumors in his liver have shrunk so small they do not consider them measurable.... His CA-19 is 7!!  To say that his results on this trial are terriffic is a vast understatement...He has his life back!!  He had horrible nausea during the first treatment then started with Zofran which has kept this under control - He experiences a lack of energy days 4 - 7, but again, this has been manageable - He has continued to travel and lecture throughout this treatment, the only difference is that I now accompany him to help with meals, baggage, etc...He has never experienced hand & foot syndrom or  diarrhea - It takes him a day after finishing the Xeloda to get his full strength back - but feels great after that!  We too, were concerned with the high dose of the drug at first and really expected awful side affects, but it has truly been a miracle drug for us!

I'm so sorry about your mother and hope she is doing better.  I will say a prayer for her and you.  --Ann E. in KC

Thank you so much for the article!!  I think the varying schedule is a good idea, but I don't know if my dad's doctor (whom I don't like, but my dad won't switch) will go for it.  --Ann E.